Propulsion system for watercraft



Aug. 15, 1967 J. T. CAHILL PROPULSION SYSTEM FOR WATERCRAFT Filed March 21, 1966 John 1: Cahill BY 531T (2 INVENTOR.

United States Patent 3,335,691 PROPULSION SYSTEM FOR WATERCRAFT John T. Cahill, Richmond, N.Y. (422 Edgegrove Ave., Staten Island, N.Y. 10312) Filed Mar. 21, 1966, Ser. No. 538,148 1 Claim. (Cl. 115-12) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A propulsion system for watercraft is described and one claim is made. The system consists of a central propeller in a control chamber located above the waterline of the vessel. Three tubes enter the control chamber at 120 degree angles. The tubes enter the hull of the watercraft below the Waterline, turn upward and then horizontally to connect the control chamber with the water. The tubes below the water are at each side, and at the stern of the vessel. A vacuum system enables water to be drawn into the control chamber. The propeller in the control chamber can be controlled from the helm to expel water into one or two tubes, enabling the vessel to be propelled in any desired direction.

This invention comprises a novel and useful propulsion system for watercraft and more particularly to a system employing a novel arrangement of tubes and a propeller with a power transmission and directional con trol system.

A main object of the invention is to provide a novel propulsion and directional control system that will enable a watercraft to be propelled in any desired direction.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a system that can be accommodated to existing watercraft construction and serve as a self-sufficient auxiliary propulsion system when there is a failure of the main engine as well as being a propulsion and directional control system for such activities as docking and close quarter maneuvering.

Further objects and advantages will become apparent from the following description and claim, and from the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a plan and partial section view of a watercraft illustrating the general arrangement of the tubes and propeller within a vessel and the flow of water for propulsion in a particular direction.

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary elevation in partial section of the mounting of the propeller in the control chamber portion of the tubes and further shows a generalized arrangement and location of the prime mover and the directional control system.

FIGURE 3 is a transverse elevation in section showing the accommodation of existing watercraft machinery and equipment by an arrangement possible with the invention which contains further advantages.

Referring to the drawings, FIGURE 1 generally designates a watercraft which is propelled by the invention. Tubes 1 and 2 are directed forward of a line at right angles to the keel and preferably each form an angle of sixty degrees in the horizontal plane with the line of the keel. Tube 3 is directed aft and is divided into tubes 4 and 5. Tubes 4 and 5 would be of equal size and their combined area is the same as that of tubes 1, 2, or 3, which are equal in diameter. The point of connection between tubes 4 and 5 and tube 3 is made as to present a minimum of fluid friction by maintaining the angle between tubes 4 and 5 as small as possible at the junction and using long sweeping curves to conduct the tubes out from the centerline of the hull, and then parallel to the keel as they pass through the hull. This preferred arrangement allows tubes 4 and 5 to avoid various equipment and machinery that is present in the aft hull areas of conventional watercraft. This is accomplished without loss of direction control or propulsion efiicacy. Where the watercraft was not encumbered by additional machinery, tube 3 could be extended through the hull without the use of tubes 4 and 5.

Tubes 1, 2, 4 and 5 are located well below the waterline of the unladen vessel. This is further illustrated in FIGURE 3. These tubes are open to the water for either suction or discharge.

Tubes 1, 2, and 3 are connected to the control chamber 15. Supported in the control chamber is the propeller 10, and its power transmission system. The propeller may be swung to act in any angle in the control chamber by turning it to that angle with the hollow support 17. This is effected by the directional control system which is illustrated in FIGURE 2.

By means of the directional control system, the propeller 10 may be directed to act in any horizontal angle, and thus pump water into any of the tubes 1, 2, or 3. FIGURE 1 shows the propeller directed so that water is drawn in tubes 4 and 5 as well as 2, and expelled from tube 1. With the propeller operated in this position the watercraft will be propelled to the right and slightly to the rear. By swinging the propeller to act down tube 3, water will be drawn in tubes 1 and 2 and be expelled from tubes 4 and 5, and the watercraft will be propelled forward. When the preferred arrangement of tube angles is used with a horizontal line of action one hundred and twenty degrees apart, the vessel is propelled in the exact opposite direction to which the propeller is pointed. Other angles of the tubes as they enter the water or the control chamber will still permit directional control and may be useful under certain circumstances, but they do not have the degree of effectiveness as the preferred arrangement.

FIGURE 2 shows an arrangement of the propeller and its control and power transmission system. Within the control chamber 15, the propeller is connected to and rotated by a shaft which is mounted by conventional means inside the propeller housing 12. The aforesaid shaft has power transmitted by a suitable gearing arrangement such as bevel gears from vertical shaft 13. Shaft 13 has power transmitted to it by a suitable gearing arrangement, such as bevel gears, located in enclosure 11, by shaft 14. Shaft 14 is connected to a prime mover and is preferably independent of any other power source of the watercraft. A diesel engine is a good choice for the prime mover.

Shaft 16 is connected to the helm or a steering engine controlled by the helm. By rotating the helm a given number of degrees shaft 16 is caused to rotate a proportional number of degrees in the counter direction. Shaft 16 is connected to the propeller support 17 within enclosure 11 by a suitable gearing arrangement, such as spur gears, such that rotating shaft 16 will cause the propeller support and therefore the line of action of the propeller to rotate a proportional number of degrees in the counter direction. The line of action of the propeller, and therefore the direction of motion of the watercraft can he made to coincide with reference lines set into the helm. There are any number of combinations of gearing arrangements and steering engines that may be chosen to accomplish this by anyone skilled in the art.

FIGURE 3 shows an arrangement of tubes that is especially useful for most commercial vessels. While it is within the spirit of the invention to have tubes 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 lie in the same horizontal plane, definite advantages accrue from the arrangement as shown in FIGURE 3. The figure schematically shows tube 19 which is shown in FIGURE 1 as 1, passing through the hull 18, at 6, thence turning upward until above the waterline of the watercraft. When suflicient elevation has been achieved to clear machinery and equipment such as shown by boiler 21, tube 19 is turned into the horizontal plane and directed into the control chamber containing the propeller 20. The other tubes are arranged similarly.

Wit-h the tubes so arranged, not only is it possible to avoid other machinery and equipment, such as the main propulsion engine, but it is also possible to drain the tubes of water when the subject invention is not in use. Draining the tubes would result in the water in the tubes being replaced with air and resulting in a higher cargo capacity than would result from undrained tubes in a horizontal plane located below the water level.

When it is desired to use the invention for propulsion and direction control, valve 24 is opened and vacuum pump 22 is started. Air is pumped from inside the tubes through valve 24 and pipe 23 by pump 22 and discharged to the atmosphere. Water replaces the evacuated air until the tubes are full of water. At this time valve 24 is closed and then pump 22 is stopped. The syphon formed will allow propeller 20 to be started and to draw and discharge water from tubes as previously described with no loss of efficiency.

I have found that while the directional control is superior with this invention to what is obtainable with conventional propellers and rudders, the addition of this system to a conventionally powered and steered Watercra ft greatly increases that watercrafts manuverability as well as providing an emergency propulsion unit. Further the Watercraft may now be moved at right angles, or any angle to the keel. This is impossible with conventional methods. The invention also permits the location of the standard propulsion unit in its normal location.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications will readily occur to those skilled in the art it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed is:

In combination, a watercraft with three tubes at 120 degree angles entering a control chamber, said tubes being open to the Water, two of which enter the water from the sides of the vessel at 120 degrees to the keel line of the vessel, the other entering at the stern, said control chamber containing a propeller driven by a prime mover and rotated in the horizontal plane under control of the helm to expel water down one or more of the tubes and wherein the tubes upon entering the hull of the vessel are turned vertically until well above the Waterline of the vessel, thence horizontally to the control chamber, said tubes having a vacuum system consisting of a vacuum pump, blocking valve and connecting piping.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,214,656 9/ 1940' Briggs. 2,276,193 3/1942 Hanley 11514 2,616,385 11/1952 Woods 115-16 2,730,065 1/1956 Piper 1l514 3,098,464 7/ 1963 Holland 115-12 X MILTON BUCHLER, Primary Examiner.

T. M. BLIX, Assistant Examiner. 

